In commonly assigned Belgian Pat. No. 871,668 are disclosed fungicidal 3-(N-acyl-N-arylamino)-gamma-butyrothiolactones. Such compounds are made in two steps by the alkylation and acylation of an arylamine. ##STR1##
In J. Org. Chem., 28, pp. 964-7 (1963), Truce et al. disclose the internal cleavage of alkylmercapto-butyryl chlorides to butyrothiolactone, alkyl chlorides and alkenes by vacuum distillation.